A convinced reading addict, Daniel Martins told SEDA News how his passion for the written word is helping him improve his English skills fast and learn English by reading online.

By Netania Gomes

When did you start being passionate about reading? When I was a kid my mum used to subscribe to comic books and she received them regularly by post. She says this was to give me something to get entertained with and also give her a break from my mischief. From there I got into more complex books and so on.

Do you see reading as an important tool for learning English? Why?Reading as a routine helps you develop the knowledge in various subjects, so why not to include it in your daily routine as a homework? When you are still in the Beginner level it can be hard to build this routine, but if you are patient and persistent you will see it will get easier and easier for you to read English regularly and a lot.

What are some the tips you can give to students who have just started learning English? First of all, change the language of your “virtual life”. This may seem complicated, but actually it is very simple. Every student uses countless websites and online services such as email, Facebook, Instagram and of course, nowadays everyone uses a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet and so on. So why don’t you change the language of all of this into English? It’s a simple change because you probably know how to use all these services without even reading the words on the screen, but at the same time this change will help you become more familiar with English words.

Do you know of any good websites for learning English that students should visit? There are two websites I really like practicing my reading with: News in Levels (www.newsinlevels.com) and ESL Fast (www.eslfast.com).

The first one is really interesting because you can read the same story in three different levels of English – from Beginner to Advanced. While the second one will give you 365 short stories – four or five paragraphs long – about different subjects.

What else do you do that can help students?

I would also advise you to migrate all your daily readings to English. Every day I read a considerable amount of articles about IT and technology as it is something that I am really into, so what I do is gather this information from websites in English instead of checking out sites in my own language.

So if you like reading about a specific subject like travel, sports, economics, health or fashion for example, try to get your reading material from an English source, don’t read in your native language.

Reading in English is a lot easier when you genuinely like the subject you are reading about! I also use the Feedly app to organise my daily reading materials, so I set this app to show only the websites in English, that way I’ll be forced to read them before opening anything else.

What about books in English?

This is easy: start with books for kids and don’t be afraid to read books for teenagers as well. I’ve read The Fault in Our Stars and I have no shame in admit it! The important point here is to start with books that have a comfortable vocabulary level and increase the difficulty level gradually. There is nothing magical about this, it will work in exactly the same way it did when you learned how reading in your native language.

We know that English is one of the languages most requested by companies, so one of the main reasons to choose these certifications is that you can improve your Curriculum Vitae and make you excel to others with this accreditation of international validity. Government offices, companies and educational institutions recognize these certificates as proof of the language mastery of students.

It is also important at a personal level that you set a goal, prepare yourself and strive to achieve the best results in the test that you decide to submit. The certificate will be a trophy for you!

CAMBRIDGE EXAMS

Cambridge qualifications are for life. This institution has a great trajectory and worldwide reference in the language teaching evaluates diverse aspects like Reading and Use of English where the student tests their reading comprehension and their knowledge of language. The writing section takes into account the number of words that are requested in the indications, listening tests your ability to understand the information given in recordings and speaking is the oral part of the exam where you will be tested in your ability to communicate in English. You do not need to go to the UK to do these exams, there are 2000 authorized centers in 135 countries around the world. But the evaluation is done in Cambridge directly as well as the issuance of the corresponding certificates

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

There is an extensive list of certifications you can choose from, ranging from the Key Performance Test (KET) which is a qualification that tests your skills to communicate in simple situations. Preliminary English Test (PET) will serve to certify an intermediate level of English. First Certificate in English (FCE) one of the most recognized certificates, is a qualification that proves that you are able to take classes that are taught in English or work in an English speaking country, upper intermediate level. Certificate in Advance English (CAE) C1 that verifies higher level language skills. Also Certificate of Proficiency in English (C2) CPE, is the most advanced certificate and denotes that you have reached the highest level in English.

CAMBRIDGE AND BRITISH COUNCIL

IELTS, the most popular exam to certify the level of English for higher education and work purposes (this certificate lasts for two years). Whether for academic or work purposes these exams prove your true knowledge. There are many online sites that offer materials to prepare you, each test is different, the recommendation is to study the structure and timings of the one you choose to ensure your results are the best! Do you know which one you would like to try? Try your English!

Valmiz Henkel is an English language teacher in Porto Alegre, Brazil and he loves learn a new language. Valmiz lived in Ireland for a year in 2011 and one summer she brought a group of 19 students over to SEDA College for a short English course. Valmiz spoke to SEDA News about her experience.

“I’ve been teaching English as a foreign language for 10 years. I worked as an English teacher in Dublin and then I returned to Brazil and decided to start my own business so now I am the director of Lingo Idiomas, a language school in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

I lived in Ireland in 2011 and I stayed a year here. That’s how I came in contact with SEDA.

The trip to Ireland this summer is our school’s second exchange program. The first time I went to London with 4 students. This time I came with 19 students to study in Dublin. It’s been amazing and SEDA has helped me a lot throughout this year. It was the first time I organized a trip for my students on my own. I’ve learned a lot in the process and I want to repeat it.

THE STUDENTS LOVED DUBLIN

All the students loved Dublin. The people, the streets, the atmosphere of the city. Many of them wish to return some day and others even want to come back and live here.

When it comes to learning languages I think that the first thing one needs is passion! If you really wish to learn the language, it makes it easier. I had this passion myself and I fought to have the opportunity to learn the language. My family was never able to afford a language course for me, so I decided to study on my own, using some old books we had at home and photocopying some books from my school’s library.

When I started university and chose Letras Course to study English and to be an English Teacher. It wasn’t so easy so I decided I had to do something else to improve my English, that was when I had this amazing experience as an AuPair in the US. I stayed a year there and went back home fluent. Shortly after that I started teaching English and never stopped…

I was really glad to be back in Dublin. See all the places I loved, eat all the food I used to eat or simply walk down the streets of Dublin again. I thank very much SEDA College for all the help and opportunity. We are leaving Dublin with great memories!”

Here at SEDA, when our students are learning English our main concern is that our students always use a simple and efficient way. But to make it possible students need to drop some habits which are very common as we have found.

LEARNING ONLY IN THE CLASSROOM

Think of your English classes as just a learning guide suited to your current level. The development of communication skills is gradual, however, you will not progress if you limit your learning to the time spent inside the classroom.

“If out of 24 hours in a day, you devote only three to learning the language, the process will be very slow,” says SEDA’s Tiago Mascarenhas. “The contact with the language must be constant and intense”.

So try to use your time abroad to the max – speak as much you can, listen to English radio, watch TV programmes in English and read books in the language.

COMMUNICATING IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE

We find that many exchange students spend more time communicating in their native tongue than in English. While holding a conversation in English can be difficult at first, to continue communicating in your native language will slow down learning.

SEDA’s Academic Director Sibeal Turraoin, explains why: “Every time you speak in your own language, it makes it more difficult for your brain to switch back to English and recall what has been learned. I am bilingual myself, and I know from experience how much it slows down the learning process. The more you immerse yourself in the language, the faster and easier will you progress”.

NOT BELIEVING IN YOURSELF

When studying abroad, it is common for students with different language abilities to be in the same class or even live together. Some people have a natural ability to speak very well, but have trouble with writing, or vice versa.

“It is important that students do not feel intimidated by colleagues and never stop believing in their ability to learn,” said Sibeal Turraion. “Self-confidence is essential for learning. Do not be afraid to make mistakes”.

NOT BEING OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES

Being away from home and friends often makes students stick to people from their own country and seek environments where they feel comfortably surrounded by their own culture. But this can be a problem for the learning a new language.

Getting new experiences and making new friends are the two great advantages of studying abroad. All students should try and make friends with people of other nationalities, get to know new places, taste exotic dishes of the various world cuisines. Do not be afraid to step out of the familiar!

THINKING THAT LEARNING WILL HAPPEN BY ITSELF

Time alone cannot teach one a language. There are people who live for years in a foreign country, yet only manage to communicate with difficulty. The only way to learn a language is by making mistakes, but you also need to work in order to correct them.

We must attend classes, study at home and readjust all our daily activities for the language that we came here to learn. So watch TV in English, listen to music in English, read Irish news – in English, switch your social media and even your phone settings to English. “When you are completely surrounded by the language, you are learning even in your dreams,” adds Tiago.

Education Stars, an independent rating agency for schools and colleges all over the world, has announced the winners of the annual Education Stars Awards, and for the third consecutive year the prize for Best Language School in Dublin and Ireland has been awarded to SEDA College. The award is given to language schools that consistently achieve outstanding student reviews on EducationStars.

“Receiving the award for the third time reaffirms the quality of teaching and the satisfaction of SEDA students,” says Tiago Mascarenhas, marketing director at SEDA.

The page has 179 reviews from students and former students. In “Quality and Satisfaction”, SEDA College reached an impressive 92.8%, while 100% of students would recommend SEDA to a friend. Also, according to the ranking of Education Stars, the score officially classifies SEDA as “excellent, top quality”.

“At first I thought SEDA was just another English school, but now I can see how didactic and interactive they are, so I changed my mind. I will recommend SEDA to my friends” says Isaac Sanchez, from Panama. Brazilian student Sandra Anjos defines her experience in SEDA as her best choice. “I’m glad I had the opportunity to study there. I want to go back and resume my studies,” she says.

About SEDA College – SEDA is one of the nine institutions in Ireland certified with EAQUALS (Evaluation & Accreditation of Quality Language Schools), an international association of institutions and organisations involved in language education. Its aim is to promote and guarantee high quality in language teaching and learning.

SEDA College is also certified by the Irish Accreditation ACELS and the ISO 9001 quality seal which ensures that the school adopts a quality management system and is focused on managing the needs and expectations of students.

In 2016, SEDA College offered more than 580 hours of free extracurricular activities to SEDA and non-SEDA students, activities such as workshops, CV classes, creative writing classes, volunteer work, extra grammar and conversation classes, amongst various others activities. Currently, SEDA College occupies an area of 14,000 m² on Capel Street and has more than 600 students from various countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Seda College has been operating for more than 8 years in Ireland’s Capital city, Dublin. SEDA which focuses on the teaching of English as a second language and was awarded the best Irish language school for the third year in a row, has just realized a platform that allows people from all over the world to study one of the most spoken languages in the world, English, online. Seda wants to help people who really want the opportunity to study English and Spanish but are unable to come to Dublin.

With extensive experience in the educational field, Seda has just realized the web site Seda College Online in Ireland. This tool will be managed by the school, directly from its main office in Europe. Everyone can have access by subscribing to the website. This learning platform is for everyone and it is free.

The aim of this platform is to aid students, from beginner to advanced level, to organize their daily studies based on their own level of proficiency in English. The website also offers testing and preparatory courses for fields such as: retailing, marketing, LinkedIn, time management and even the science of persuasion.

Thiago Mascarenhas, director of the institution, has given a clear declaration of SEDA’s educational intentions: “Our biggest challenge is to make the platform part of the student’s life. Today, English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world,it is practically mandatory to know this language. We, as a team, understand the needs of ours users and therefore we aspire to deliver our teaching method to every where it is needed.”

This website was designed to give people a similar experience to what it is like to be one of our students in Dublin. It will offer study materials and also a range of extra exercises at the end of each lesson. At the end of the course the student will receive a certificate of proficiency in their studied subject. In the future, the learner will also be able to have live classes with our teachers, there will also be raffles of study materials.

For those who are interested and want to try it out, it’s simple, just access sedacollegeonline.com, subscribe and enjoy.